Pen rule



May 23, 1950 w. l. CARLSON PEN-RULE Filed July 27, 1945 In reu tor B] WW 8,3

Patented May 23, 1950 UNITED STATES PENT OFFICE PEN William I. Carlson, Detroit, Mich.

ApplicationJul'y 27, 1945,'Serial No. 607,361

3 Claims.

This invention relates to writing device such as pencils, pens, etc. and has for its primary object to provide the combination of a pencil and a steel ruler.

A further object of this invention is to provide a combination pencil, and drafting instrument.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a combination pencil and ruler .case in which the. pencil barrel forzrns. a: supporting and securing means for a fiexible ruler case.

Other features. andgadvantages will become morereadily. apparent from. the following description and the accompanying illustrative drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of my combined pencil barrel and square,

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the upper end of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of a combined barrel cap and ruler case,

Figure 4 is a detail elevation of a ruler barrel, and

Figure 5 is a detail elevational view of a ruler shaft.

In the accompanying drawings as aboveenumerated and in the following specification, like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout and in which Ill, indicates my combined pencil and ruler which consists of a pencil barrel l I, the top I2, of which has a cap I3, within the lower end I4, of which is fixed the upper end l5, of a housing l6, of a diameter to frictionally engage the inner surface [1, of the'wall 18, of the barrel I I. The cap I3, is provided with a bore l9, through which the upper end 20, of a vertical shaft 21, projects, the lower end 22, of which projects through an opening 23, in the bottom wall 24, of the housing l5.

Fixed within the upper end I5, of housing I6, is a .cap 25, with an offset portion 26, which forms a female recess 21, within which is adapted to seat the male octagonal enlargement or shank 28, of the shaft 2|. The top wall 29, of the offset is provided with a bore 30, through which said shaft 2|, projects.

Spaced apart on shaft 2|, are integral or fixed flanges 35 and 36, which together with the shaft form a spool 31, upon which one end of a flexible steel ruler 38, is fixed. The width of said ruler is substantially that of the space between flanges 35 and 36, said space being two-thirds that of the length of slots 39, in housing I6 and 40, in barrel l l, which slots align with one another. A spring 34 is disposed on the shaft 20 to space the flange 36 above the wall 24.

Frojecting through the said bottom wall 24, is

. 2 v a. pintl, to which is fixed one end 42, of a clock spring 43, the inner end 44, of which seats in a slot.45., in the terminal end 46, of the shaft 2|. The. slot all, extends through the upper edge 41, of barrel H, and the ruler 38, projects through both. slots39 and 4G. The flanges 35 and 36, of spool 31, hold the steel-ru1er38, against lateral movement relative to barrel H. The edge 48, of top I5, seats flush with said edge 41, whereby the wall 49, of said barrel forms a straight edge and at right angles to the ruler 38. A sca1e5ll, is provided longitudinally upon said well 49,. and is adapted to coact with the scale 5!, of ruler 38, for drafting purposes. A combined pull and stop member 52, is fixed to the outer end 53, of ruler 38.

From the foregoing specification it becomes obvious that when the member 52, is placed seated upon the end 55, of barrel 1 I, a closure therefor is provided. It is also obvious that when the flexible steel ruler 3B, is Wound upon spool 31, and the spring 43, unwound, when the ruler is pulled out, the spring is wound up so as to reverse shaft 25, and spool 31, retracting the ruler and rewinding upon its spool, so that the shaft is pushed in against the tension of coil spring to disconnect male member 28, from its seat in the female recess 21. The shaft 2| is normally held in raised position by the spring 34, coiled upon the lower portion of the shaft 2|, and between the wall 24, and flange 33.

When the barrel l I, is seated against the edge of a drawing board, or any other edge, and the ruler 38, drawn out, a perfect try square is provided and through scale 53, equally divided spaces may be marked and then lined through the medium of the oppositely disposed edges, of the ruler or arm 38, of the square which I will desighate as a whole as 58.

For would-be, or jack-leg carpenters, or in fact for any rough carpentering, cabinet or other such work, my square will answer all necessary purposes. Such workmen lose much time in going to a tool chest or looking up a misplaced square, whereas they must carry their pencil at all times in their pockets, therefore, with my device a ruler, a square and a pencil are always at the finger tips, thereby saving time which means money.

For scholars, draftsmen and others who need the use of such instrument my device will prove just as useful and valuable.

It is thought that persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates will be able to obtain a clear understanding of the invention after considering the description in connection with 3 the drawings. Therefore, a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary.

Minor changes in shape, size and rearrangement of details and parts such as come within the purview of the invention claimed may be resorted to, in actual practice, if desired.

Having now described my invention that which I claim as new and desire to procure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described including a tubular casing, a longitudinally slotted housing fixed therein being closed at its lower end and open at its upper end, a centrally apertured cap closure member in the upper end of said housing, an annular ofiset locking'socket in said closure member, a shaft supported in said housing for longitudinal movement having a locking shank thereon adapted to be received in said locking socket, a reel on said shaft, a, tape measure secured to said shaft wound on said reel and extending through said slot, a clock spring disposed below said housing fixed thereto and to said shaft, and a coil spring disposed about said shaft between the bottom of said housing and said reel for forcing said shaft shank into locking engagement with said offset locking socket.

'2. The subject matter as claimed in claim 1, and manually operable means for releasing said shaft shank from said locking socket for automatictally retracting said tape measure into said housing and onto said reel.

3. In a device of the character described including a tubular casing, a cylindrical longitudinal slotted housing fixed therein, a bottom wall for said housing, a centrally disposed bearing recess in the bottom wall, a centrally apertured cap closure member in the upper end of the housing, a shaft supported in the bearing recess and aperture for axial and longitudinal movement therein, la locking socket in said closure member, an annular recess in said socket, a locking shank secured on said shaft for selective engagement within the annular recess, a reel on said shaft, a tape measure on said reel and extending through the slot,lresilient means disposed below said h0using fixed thereto and to the shaft, and means disposed about the shaft between the bottom of the housing and the reel for selectively urging said shaft shank into locking engagement with the locking socket.

WILLIAM I. CARLSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

